Crossing Boundaries, Second Edition
by Yua-hime
Summary: Rewrite of the original Crossing Boundaries. When an old man and clock digimon show up in the park one evening while Daisuke is making his way home, the Chosen Children of more than one world and time will be gathered to help defeat the ultimate enemy - Quartzmon. This is the Legendary Heroes look on things from their gathering to their farewells.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: For old readers, I apologize for how long it has taken for me to work on Crossing Boundaries. If you read my Author's Note in the original story, you will know that life and improved writing skills have made it very difficult for me to continue that story. However, because I refuse to abandon the story, so I have been working on a rewrite. It has taken me a while, but I finally have the prologue and first chapter done. Hopefully the others will be soon to follow, but as you know, I make no promises.**

 **For new readers, I hope you enjoy! I've been working on this story for quite some time and look forward to hearing any of your thoughts about the story. There are some minor discrepancies with canon in this story, such as Koichi going with everyone and Impmon not going, but they are minor enough and I thought it made sense the way I wrote them, so I left it in.**

 **IMPORTANT INFORMATION! PLEASE READ!**

 **Although some of my Author's Notes are rambling and thanks to reviewers and followers, most of them are actually important to the story. Any pertinent information regarding the story is in the Author's Notes. I may not reply to a question in a review if the answer is in the Author's Note. So please read them.**

 **For this story, you mostly need to know that I use the Japanese names for the Characters, with some exceptions. Orimoto Izumi is Orimoto Zoe, because I liked the idea of a half Japanese, half European character. Some of the digimon also retain their English names, such as Gatomon, because Tailmon sounds silly, in my opinion.**

 **This should be all the information you need so far, so please enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon Adventure, Adventure 02, Tamers, Frontier, Savers, or Fusion or any of their plot and characters. They are the property of Toei Animation and Akiyoshi Hongo. This was made purely for entertainment and does not receive any profit.**

 **Prologue: The Mysterious Man and Clock. Jump to the Next Dimension!**

The old man stood swathed in shadows, just out of reach of the city lights flooding either end of the narrow alley. He was bent over, as if inspecting the ground, one hand held to his visor, the other clutching the rounded end of a cane. Something shifted in the darkness and a large round figure stepped around the corner of an overfilled dumpster. Its steps were strangely quiet, as if the figure were much lighter than it appeared.

The old man straightened. "It is time," he said by way of greeting.

The round figure let out a high metallic laugh. "Okay ~!" It said in a sing-song voice.

An eerie orange glow lit up the alley as an intricate clock face spread out beneath the two figures. Strange writing appeared inside the thick outer ring of the circle, even as a second circle formed beneath them. Thin clock-hands stretched out from the center of the circle as odd symbols appeared in place of numbers.

The round figure, revealed in the orange light to be a clock-like figure itself, spread its arms wide. The clock hands on its own body, as well as those belonging to the orange circle, began to spin.

The old man lifted his own arms, his wooden cane held high. A rectangular device painted black and gray was held firmly over the circle. "Eaonep, Eageta eafo Eadsnoitnemi," he called out in a strong voice.

The circle began to glow steadily brighter as the old man spoke. Slowly, it lifted into the air, surrounding the two figures. It spun lazily for a short time before the rings surrounding the glyphs moved up and over, faster and faster until the old man and the round figure were completely obscured by the orange glow. Within the fiery sphere, the clock face still surrounding the old man and his oddly shaped companion spun. The old man stood stock still, a grim smile spreading across his face.

Soon, the light started to fade. As it did, the world began to fall away, like the pieces of a puzzle, revealing what was underneath. Stars, planets and nebula filled the holes in the world. They flew past, streaking across the sky, their colors dancing together as if it were their natural state of being.

It was over in a matter of seconds. The cosmos slowly disappeared behind the mask of a new world. The circle and what little light it provided disappeared completely, leaving only the old man and the round, clock-shaped figure bathed in the shadows of a forest.

"We have arrived," the old man said, looking around the thick cluster of trees. "We must find the child and his group quickly and be on our way. We don't want to cause more of a disruption here than we already have."

"Right!'' The clock-like figure said following the old man.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon Adventure, Adventure 02, Tamers, Frontier, Savers, or Fusion or any of their plot and characters. They are the property of Toei Animation and Akiyoshi Hongo. This was made purely for entertainment and does not receive any profit.**

 **Chapter 1: Another Great Adventure? The Multiverse in Danger!**

It was nearing midnight as Daisuke walked home. Few people walked the streets, but those who did spared a curious and worried glance towards the eleven-year-old and the blue dragon "stuffed animal" he held. Daisuke payed them little heed as thoughts of the meeting with the other Chosen Children buzzed around his mind. They had yet to come up with answers for their current predicament.

Two weeks had passed since BelialVamdemon's defeat and not a single person remembered it except the Chosen Children. Daisuke remembered waking up the morning after to the smiling face of his mother asking if he wanted pancakes for breakfast. His morning had continued as if BelialVamdemon had never existed. Finally, he had asked if they wanted to discuss "it." When they only looked confused, Daisuke elaborated. When they asked what digimon was, he had stuttered out some silly lie about it being a game he and his friends played.

Jun's derisive snort followed him as he escaped into the bedroom where Chibimon had, fortunately, been left to continue sleeping. Five minutes of freaking out later, he was contacted by Ken, shortly followed by a message from Taichi calling an emergency meeting.

Four more meetings later, and still no answers had been found and no decisions had been made. Some of them thought it was better with no one knowing. Koushiro was sure that the government would get involved. It would only be a matter of time before they tried to use the digimon or kill them. That would put the Chosen Children in a difficult position. Taichi agreed with him. Hikari was of a completely different mind. She was tired of hiding. Daisuke wasn't sure which side he fell on.

One thing was certain, however. He wished his parents knew at the least. The meeting had lasted longer than usua,l and Daisuke had received a very angry phone call. He had wanted to stay the night at the Yagami residence, but his mother wouldn't hear of it. Daisuke wasn't about to argue. She'd been in an increasingly worse mood the last several months and he thought it was just safer to do as she wanted.

 _Dad probably isn't home,_ he thought. His father was an inspector for the police force and often worked late nights. If he had been around, there was no way he would let Daisuke walk home alone so late.

He was about ten minutes from home when a cold chill ran down his spine.

He stopped, feeling Chibimon tense in his arms. "Daisuke," Chibimon said, voice surprisingly serious despite its child-like quality.

"I know," Daisuke whispered, arms tightening around his partner.

Daisuke looked around cautiously. On one side, tall apartment buildings loomed, casting long shadows. On his other, was a thick cluster of trees. There was an orange glow deep within the darkness, like a fire had been set. It faded too quickly to be an actual fire. Daisuke narrowed his eyes. There was a tingling feeling under his skin, like when he traveled to the digital world. His stomach clenched at the thought of trouble so soon after BelialVamdemon.

"Guess we'd better go check it out," he said with a sigh.

Chibimon turned to look at him with a determined look. "Don't worry Daisuke, I'll protect you."

Daisuke grinned at him. "I'll be counting on you, Chibimon," he said before he started for the trees.

They were nearly at the tree line when two figures emerged. They were about the same height, but one was much wider – round almost. As they came closer to the well-lit sidewalk, Daisuke saw that the round figure was, in fact, a clock with arms and legs. Obviously a digimon, though not one Daisuke had ever seen. The other was an old man with a cane. Street light reflected off round, red sunglasses. Wild white hair was held back slightly by a green visor with a gear design. There were grease stains on the edges of his shorts and sleeveless jacket.

"Hey!" Daisuke called out to get their attention. As soon as he had it, he wondered if he should have kept his mouth shut. The two were staring at him rather intensely.

"I wasn't expecting to find you so soon," The old man said after a long moment, amusement more than surprise coating his words.

Daisuke took a step back, startled. He hesitated to answer. He and Jun had always been taught to be weary of strangers and it was a little creepy that this guy knew who he was when Daisuke had never met the man before. On the other hand, it was obvious he was connected to the Digital World. He clearly wasn't one of the internationals. He was much too old. Perhaps he was one of the original Chosen Children? Daisuke remembered Taichi mentioning them before.

"What do you want from Daisuke?!" Chibimon demanded, releasing a surprisingly fierce growl.

"I want him to save the world," the old man said simply.

"Didn't we just do that?" Daisuke complained.

"It is in danger again," the old man replied in his even tone.

Daisuke glared at him. It had been a rhetorical question.

"Who are you, anyway? Are you one of the original Chosen Children?" Daisuke asked in suspicion.

"Most people call me the Old Clock Shop Man, but that's a bit long, so you may call me Kuroku and this is Clockmon, my partner," the newly dubbed Kuroku said before pointing towards the digimon. "And I am not a Chosen Child of any sort."

"Eh!? But if you have a partner, that means you are a Chosen Child," Chibimon said, looking at Daisuke before turning back to Kuroku and Clockmon.

"That is true. A digimon only becomes partners with a Chosen Child. But I am not a Chosen Child."

"Then why did you call Clockmon your partner?" Daisuke asked in exasperation.

"Because he is."

Daisuke shouted in frustration. "Would you just give a straight answer!?"

Clockmon let out a strange, chattering laugh. "Kuroku and Clockmon are partners by choice, not by Destiny," he explained.

Daisuke frowned, not entirely sure he understood, but Kuroku gave a small cough before the conversation could continue.

"Let's just say that Clockmon and I have a long, complicated history, that has little to do with why we're here."

"Right," Daisuke said, remembering the reason Kuroku gave for searching him out. "You said the world was in danger."

"You are correct," Kuroku said, voice turning grave. "My tale is a long one, so it is best not to interrupt until the end." Kuroku waited until Daisuke and Chibimon nodded in understanding. "Clockmon and I are from another dimension–''

Daisuke opened his mouth, but snapped it shut quickly, when Kuroku held up his hand. Smiling sheepishly, Daisuke waved for him to continue.

Kuroku smiled. "You have already seen evidence of other worlds – The Digital World, the Human World, the Dark Ocean, and the Dream World. As you are well-aware, these worlds are connected to each other and can greatly influence each other. Separate dimensions, unlike separate worlds, are completely cut off from each other and it is very difficult and often very dangerous to interact with other dimensions. Unfortunately, the threat of Quartzmon far outweighs the risks.

"Quartzmon is our enemy," Kuroku explained at Daisuke and Chibimon's confused looks. "He is more powerful than anything you have faced before. More powerful than any Chosen Child has faced. In order to defeat him, we must gather Chosen Children from multiple dimensions. Those who are the most powerful and most accomplished of any in the multiverse. If Quartzmon wins, it means the destruction of all of our dimensions."

The air grew thick with tension as Kuroku finished his explanation. There was a sense of fearful anticipation bubbling up in Daisuke's stomach, like when he first fought in the digital world, or the times they fought Chimeramon and stood against BelialVamdemon. Daisuke held Chibimon just a bit closer.

"He's that powerful?" Daisuke asked quietly, uncomfortable in the silence but unsure if he should break it all the same.

Kuroku looked straight into Daisuke's eyes. "He is."

"But you said we could beat him, right?" Chibimon piped up, squirming in Daisuke's hold. Daisuke loosened his grip and smiled sheepishly at his partner.

"Yes. He can be defeated, but only with the help of your team of Chosen Children, as well as others from other dimensions."

"But how are we supposed to help?" Daisuke asked. "I mean, if he's so powerful will increased numbers really do any good?"

Kuroku smiled. "It is not the increased numbers that will help, but your presence, Daisuke Motomiya."

"Eh!? Me?" Dasiuke asked, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

"Yes, but that is a tale best left until everyone is gathered together."

Daisuke pouted.

"So, are you willing to help?"

Daisuke blinked, startled by the question. He had thought his answer was obvious. "Of course, we will!" Daisuke exclaimed. He grinned down at his partner. "Right, Chibimon?"

"Right!" Chibimon said excitedly.

"Uh, I guess I should tell the others what's going on," Daisuke said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He'd completely forgotten about them until just now.

Pulling out his D-Terminal, Daisuke sent a brief, vague message. He didn't want to get into the details of what was going on through messaging, in case there was any confusion, or someone thought he was joking about it. Other dimensions and time travel was not a topic most people took seriously through a text message.

"Everyone should be here soon," he said, looking up. Kuroku wasn't there. Looking around quickly, Daisuke saw Kuroku a few feet away staring intently at the ground. He poked at it occasionally with his cane and appeared to be muttering something, though Daisuke couldn't hear what.

"What's he doing?" Chibimon asked curiously.

Daisuke shrugged, brows furrowed in confusion. "Beats me."

"Kuroku is testing for weaknesses in the temporal and dimensional barriers," a high, metallic voice said.

Chibimon let out a squeak and Daisuke jumped, before whipping to his left to see Clockmon standing right beside them.

"Clockmon! Don't scare us like that!" Chibimon yelled.

Daisuke nodded his head fervently. "Yeah, you were so quiet I forgot you were there," he said and Clockmon gave a strange chittering laugh. "What did you mean by testing the, uh, whatever, barriers?"

"To go to other dimensions and times, Kuroku has to test the strength of the space/time barriers that protect dimensions from influencing each other. Tearing through a strong barrier could damage the entire structure of space and time protecting two dimensions and is very dangerous to travelers. But if you try to travel through a barrier that is too weak, you could shatter it, causing space and time to warp or even cause two dimensions to collide with each other," Clockmon explained.

Daisuke blinked. "I don't think I got all that…" he said. Looking down at Chibimon, he saw his partner had wide, slightly unfocussed eyes. At least he wasn't alone in his confusion.

Clockmon let out another chittering laugh. "It's important work to keep us safe as we travel. It might take a while."

"I'll take your word for it," Daisuke said, before plopping himself down on the cold, dew covered grass to wait.

Hikari sighed, sinking deeper into the tub until warm water was just above her mouth. Gatomon copied her on the other side of the tub, her tail wrapping loosely around Hikari's ankle. The feathery ends of Gatomon's tail tickled her calf and she jerked her leg back. Water splashed into her face and on the tile floor outside the tub.

"Gatomon!" Hikari exclaimed, sitting up. She tried to sound stern but failed miserably as she fought the laughter bubbling up in her throat. "You did that on purpose!"

"Shhh! Hikari, not so loud," Gatomon whispered.

Hikari quickly covered her mouth, hoping to stifle her giggles. She heard footsteps on the stairs. She looked over at Gatomon, who was completely still, blue eyes watching the door intently. Hikari turned to the door as well and waited. The footsteps came closer, until finally they passed. Hikari sighed, before sinking back into the water.

"That was close," she whispered, eyes downcast. Her eyes burned, and she bit her lip. She refused to cry.

"Hikari?" Gatomon's voice was soft and concerned and Hikari could barely hold her tears back. "Hikari, what's wrong?"

Hikari squeezed her eyes shut and took a steadying breath. After a few seconds, she looked at Gatomon, a sad smile on her face. She pulled her partner close in a tight hug, ignoring the way Gatomon's wet fur felt against her bare skin.

"I'm just so _tired_ , Gatomon," she said. "I'm tired of fighting and of saving the world. I'm tired of killing digimon. And I'm tired of having to hide my best friend from the world. Of sneaking you around my parents and teachers and classmates, like you're a criminal." Hikari pushed Gatomon away from her and looked her in the eyes. "I just want peace."

"Oh, Hikari…" Gatomon said, before pulling herself close to Hikari again, embracing her. They stayed like that until the water grew cold and deep wrinkles had formed in Hikari's fingers and toes.

It was passed midnight by the time they were dry and ready for bed. Despite the late hour, Hikari found sleep elusive. She couldn't stop thinking about all their troubles. About what it would mean if the world did remember the events of Christmas night. Would there be peace like she wanted? Or would there be fear and prejudice like the older Chosen Children believed? Even Mimi seemed hesitant to let the world know. Maybe Hikari was just being naïve.

A gentle knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Hikari?" Taichi called through the door. "Can I come in?"

Hikari sat up. "Please," she said, feeling relief wash through her. Taichi always knew what to say to ease her mind.

Taichi stepped quietly into the room, closing the door softly behind him. He sat at the edge of the bed, next to Hikari's feet, and leaned forward to rest his elbows against his knees. Gatomon, who usually slept at the foot of the bed like an actual cat, moved to sit in Hikari's lap.

There was a long moment of silence, before Taichi spoke. "I'm upset too, you know." His voice was quiet and solemn as he stared down at his clasped hands. "I hate lying to mom and dad and sneaking Agumon around. I hate how terrified I am that someone will find out. It would be so much easier just to tell the world and believe that they could accept the digimon like we did." Taichi sighed and leaned back, palms flat against the bed. Turning his head towards her, he gave a small, sad smile. "But it's also for the best. I'm more terrified of what would happen if everyone did know about digimon."

Hikari looked down at Gatomon, tightening her hold on her partner. "You don't think they'll accept the digimon like we did," she said, looking up again.

"Do you?" Taichi asked sitting up a little to look at Hikari fully.

Hikari frowned. "Maybe…" she said biting her lip. "Maybe it won't be as bad as you fear."

A warm, furry paw touched her arm and she looked down to see Gatomon staring up at her. "Hikari," she said softly. "I've spent a lot of time here, both when I was with Vamdemon and now for the past year. I've seen how kind humans can be, but also how cruel. I've seen the kindest of people lash out in fear of something they can't understand," she said, softly.

Hikari bit her lip. "We didn't," she whispered.

"But, you and Taichi and everyone else are special. You're the Chosen Children," she said, as if it explained everything. And perhaps it did, but Hikari wanted to cling to hope that the rest of humanity could understand and accept what twelve children could so easily.

"Gatomon's right," Taichi said. "According to Koushiro, kids are more susceptible to the supernatural and other strange things because they're still "pure of heart" and haven't learned how to be cynical or prejudice or afraid. Then, there's whatever connects us to the Digital World," he explained, waving his hand around to symbolize the "whatever" that connected them. "The point is," he continued, "That it would be unfair for us to expect the world to accept the digimon. We can't base their reaction off our own, because we're not normal."

Silence reigned as Hikari thought and Taichi waited. Hikari understood what Taichi was saying. She really did. But all she could think of was the peace she felt in the dream that BelialVamdemon had given her. Everyone was happy and accepting of digimon. _But it was a dream,_ she thought. It was BelialVademon's attempt to keep her from fighting and if it hadn't been for Daisuke, he would have succeeded.

"Taichi," she said suddenly. He looked at her curiously. She bit her lip, trying to find the best way to ask the question that had been gnawing at her since the day the digital world had opened again. "Why did you make Daisuke the leader of our group? I mean, Takeru and I had more experience. Not that I wanted to be leader, but…"

She trailed off, waiting for Taichi's response. Taichi hummed, thinking for a moment, before he spoke.

"You're too soft spoken," Taichi said, looking at her. "There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not a trait a leader should have. Plus, you didn't want it. Takeru is different. He's like Yamato." Taichi grinned a little. "Well, he's not as mopey as Yamato was, but he thinks things through. Maybe too much. Sometimes you have to act without knowing anything and you have to trust in that decision. Takeru makes a good second. He can keep Daisuke in line, bring up points Daisuke won't think about and keep him from being too rash, but when a decisive decision needs to be made, Daisuke can make it." Taichi shrugged. "Plus, Daisuke's special." He looked at Hikari intently. "Haven't you noticed?"

Suddenly, Hikari remembered a conversation with Takeru, shortly after the final battle, before they had gone home.

 _Hikari watched as the veils between the digital world, the dream world, and the real world closed. She turned to look at the children who had been under the control of the dark spores. They looked sad. She supposed it made sense. They had wanted so badly to be a part of something bigger, and the dream world had given them that for just a few moments. For a short time, it had conjured digimom partners for them. They had been Chosen Children, a part of something grand. And now it was disappearing. Hikari felt her heart break for them. They might not be influenced by the dark spores anymore, but they would still feel sorrow for the lost opportunity. She wondered if this wasn't just as cruel of a fate._

 _Turning from the heart-wrenching scene, she searched for Miyako first, who was speaking with Sora and Koushiro. Once reassured her Jogress partner was safe, she looked for Takeru. She found him standing slightly away from the others. He didn't acknowledge her as she approached, and she wondered for a moment if he had even noticed her. Her thoughts were proven wrong when he spoke a few seconds later._

" _You know, it's really amazing," he said quietly. His eyes never strayed from what he was looking at._

 _Hikari cocked her head curiously and looked in the same direction. Daisuke stood with a bright smile stretched across his face, Chibimon held close to his chest. Ken stood beside him, holding Minomon, and speaking softly. Hikari turned back to Takeru with a confused frown._

" _What is?" she asked._

 _Takeru turned to her. "That for so long I thought Daisuke didn't have a clue. He was loud and obnoxious and ignorant. I thought he was simple and for a while I wondered why Taichi had wanted him as the leader."_

 _Hikari had wondered the same. She had known Daisuke for a long time, since just before her first foray into the digital world. He had been a quiet, insecure kid when they had met. As time went by, he grew out of that nature, becoming confident and a little selfish. His crush on her was obvious and he became easily jealous. She often found herself comparing him to the kind and gentle Takeru. When Taichi had made him leader instead of Takeru, who had far more experience, she had been upset. She would admit that was why she hadn't treated Daisuke very kindly after that._

" _I thought the same," she said aloud. "Of course, he changed, after Ken came to be with us. I haven't really noticed his crush since then," she said thoughtfully._

 _Takeru nodded. "True, his crush has faded, but I'm not really sure he's changed much," he said looking back to Daisuke._

 _Hikari looked at him surprised, before looking to Daisuke as well. He was talking animatedly, waving one hand wildly while the other held a dozing Chibimon securely._

" _I mean, Daisuke was willing to go into the digital world with no idea what it meant, even after we told him how dangerous it was, just because Taichi was in trouble. And then he bowed his head and begged when he thought the Kaiser had us prisoner. He was completely modest when he lost that match against Ken, and he was the first person to accept Ken as one of us. He never even had any reservations in the first place. And now…" Takeru trailed off, but Hikari knew what he wanted to say._

" _And now he was the only one not to fall for BelialVamdemon's visions, because he was completely happy with everything he had," Hikari said, understanding Takeru. Saying it like that, Daisuke was impressive._

 _Takeru smiled wryly at her. "Here I am, the Child of Hope and Daisuke seems to have more of it than me," he said, though he didn't sound upset at Daisuke. "He's loud and brash. He isn't afraid to say what he thinks, and he never says anything he doesn't mean at the time. I completely underestimated him."_

 _Hikari looked back at Daisuke, who was now leaning his forehead against Ken's shoulder, looking ready to fall asleep. She'd underestimated him, too._

"I guess…he is kind of amazing," Hikari said.

Taichi smirked. "He'd be happy to hear you say that," he teased.

Hikari blushed. "That's not how I meant it!" she cried, pushing at her brother's arm and dislodging Gatomon from her lap. "Besides," she huffed, crossing her arms. "I'm pretty sure Daisuke doesn't like me that way anymore."

Taichi looked thoughtful. "Well, after a while, you get tired of always giving and never getting in return," he said.

Hikari frowned at the way he said it, like she was callous for not returning Daisuke's affections. But looking closer, she realized he had probably been thinking of Sora and Yamato and himself.

A high, chiming sound startled them. Hikari looked to the bedside table and saw her D-Terminal blinking, indicating a message. She grabbed it, flipping it open. She frowned when she saw it was a message from Daisuke. A sudden spike of anxiety shot through her. Daisuke hadn't left too long ago. What could cause him to message them this late?

She shot Taichi an unsure look. He had a frown on his face, but it looked more thoughtful, like he was trying to recall something that happened a long time ago. He gestured for her to go on and she turned back to the device and began reading the message aloud.

 _To: Hikari, Iori, Ken, Miyako, Takeru_

 _From: Daisuke_

 _I need you to come to the park immediately. There's something going on. I can't explain right now. It's easier to explain in person. Just come quick! This is really important!_

Hikari felt dread pool in her gut like acid. What could possibly be happening so soon after BelialVamdemon? She looked up to Taichi, whose face was pinched with worry.

"I hadn't realized how soon it would be…" Taichi said quietly, as if speaking to himself.

"Taichi?"

Taichi stood. "You should hurry up, Hikari," he said, heading towards the door.

Hikari stared after her brother in confusion. There was something in the way he spoke, as if…

"Wait!" she called out. "You're coming too, right?"

Taichi paused, hand on the doorknob. He turned, giving her secretive smile. "I think you can handle it without your older brother."

"What about Agumon?" Gatomon said, coming to stand beside Hikari on the bed. "He'll want to help."

Taichi looked at her sadly. "At our current power level, we'd only get in the way." He was silent for a moment, before an amused smile stretched across his face. "Plus, I think he'll be too distracted recovering from the eight pudding cups he ate to care."

Hikari watched her brother leave, disheartened by his attitude. Even when the new team came together, Taichi and the others still helped. They acted as mentors and gave advice. They were always told what was happening, often acted as distractions, and frequently travelled to the digital world to help fight. Even if the temporary ability to evolve beyond Champion was gone, Taichi's attitude was strange.

"He's hiding something," Gatomon said, sounding miffed.

Hikari wanted to disagree. She wanted to believe that Taichi wouldn't hide anything from her. Not now that they were both Chosen Children, now that she was older. But Hikari knew better. Taichi would always try to protect her, even if it meant shouldering his burdens alone.

"Don't worry, Hikari," Gatomon said and Hikari looked down at her. "I'm sure he'll tell you when he's ready. For now, we need to go help the others."

Hikari smiled at her partner, letting the words reassure her. She nodded resolutely and quickly began to get ready.

Occasionally, Ken could see an upside for having been a host to the Dark Spore. Due to the excessive number of physical activities he had taken part in, he was probably the most physically fit eleven-year-old in Japan. After all, the Spore might have made it possible to do so much, and even made it easy, but it was still his body that had gone through the motions of it. In fact, anything he had learned while under the influence of the Dark Spore was still firmly stored in his mind or muscle memory.

If he were being honest, Ken hated it. He wanted nothing to do with the Dark Spore – wanted nothing more than to forget everything it had given him, good and bad, and forever break away from its influence. But, as much as he detested such a connection, it had its uses.

One such use was the ability to run the two miles from the subway to the park in ten minutes while carrying his surprisingly heavy partner.

As Ken crossed the street, slowing to a jog, he saw Daisuke turn sharply in his direction. Even from this distance, his surprise was obvious.

"Ken!" Daisuke exclaimed as Ken slowed to a stop beside him. "How did you get here so fast? I only sent that message five minutes ago, I didn't think anyone would make it so early, especially you."

"I never got on my train," he explained. "There were delays, so I was waiting for a while. But then I felt..." Ken trailed off, unsure of how to explain the feeling – the sudden flash of panic, the desperate need to see his Jogress partner.

"That's okay," Daisuke said, pulling Ken from his thoughts. "I know what you mean. I felt something like that when you got sucked into the Dark Ocean with Miyako and Hikari and when Oikawa kidnapped you. I mean, it was different than when I felt worried for Hikari or any of the others. Maybe it's because we're Jogress partners?"

Ken considered it. It was certainly possible. There were still so many mysteries surrounding the Digital World and even their roles as Chosen Children. "It sounds plausible. We can bring it up at the next meeting," he said, and Daisuke nodded eagerly. "Anyway, what's happening? Is everything alright?"

Daisuke rocked back on his heels. "That's a little complicated. I think it's better if we wait for everyone and Kuroku can explain."

Ken frowned. "Kuroku?" he asked.

Daisuke waved a hand behind him and Ken peered around his shoulder. There was an old man dressed in ragged clothes that looked like they belonged on someone sixty years younger. Beside him was a large digimon, shaped like an alarm clock. Chibimon sat a few feet away, watching with tilted head as they poked and prodded at the ground.

Ken turned back to Daisuke. He trusted the other boy's judgement. But it was suspicious, only two weeks after the final battle and with the world's memory of digimon erased, that a very old man with a digimon would come to them, claiming more trouble. Daisuke's own knack for attracting trouble didn't ease Ken's wariness.

"Are you sure?" he finally asked, taking another quick look at the strange pair, who were still prodding the ground.

Daisuke turned to look at them and shrugged carelessly. "I think they're telling the truth. I don't think they want to cause any harm," he said, and Ken relaxed a little. "Even if they are a little weird looking."

"A little more than weird," Wormmon said, startling both Daisuke and Ken.

Ken was suddenly curious why his partner had been so quiet, now that he knew Daisuke was fine. It was also strange for him to say something to rude, even if it was the truth. Looking down, he saw Wormmon staring rather intensely at the strange pair.

"What's wrong?" Ken asked, growing wary again.

Wormmon never took his eyes off the pair. "There's something about that Kuroku guy…" He trailed off, jumping from Ken's arms and heading over to Chibimon.

Ken frowned and looked back at Daisuke, who looked puzzled.

"Chibimon said something like that, before he went to watch them," Daisuke said, head tilted. His mouth turned down in a small frown. "He was really protective too, when we first met them. It almost seemed like he was going to attack at first."

Ken's eyes widened. "You didn't find that suspicious?"

Daisuke's frown deepened. "Of course, I did," he said, sounding slightly offended. "But he has a digivice and digimon partner, even if he says he's not a Chosen Child."

Ken looked down sadly. "Just because you have digivice and a digimon partner, it doesn't mean you're a good person," he said quietly, thinking back to his time as the Kaiser.

Ken felt hands on his shoulders and he looked up to see Daisuke staring at him, fire in his eyes. "I have never met a single person who was Chosen by the Digital World who was a bad person inside," he said fiercely. "It's okay to be a little lost, Ken."

Ken's eyes widened, before fondness replaced self-loathing. He smiled gently at Daisuke. "I can't argue with you, can I?"

Daisuke smile, pulling back with a shrug. "You could, but you'd lose."

Ken opened his mouth, ready to point out that he had won the last five arguments they had had but was interrupted by someone calling out.

"Daisuke!"

Hikari was jogging towards them, Gatomon running beside her on all-fours. She stopped in front of them and took a moment to catch her breath.

"I got here…as fast as I could…" she said, breath catching slightly. "What-?" she stopped midsentence. "Ken? How-?" she began, brow furrowed in confusion, but was cut off by Daisuke.

"Magical Jogress partner thingy," he said, waving his hand in a dismissive manner. Ken and Hikari smiled in amusements at his word choice. "More importantly, where's Taichi-senpai?"

Ken saw Hikari's smile drop into a concerned frown, even as his own became confused. Ken hadn't thought anything about the older boy being absent. But thinking about it now, if a new threat was looming, it seemed strange for the leader of the first generation to stay away.

"He said…that we would be fine without him," she answered, looking confused and distressed.

Daisuke's brow furrowed in confusion. "But he doesn't even know what's happening!" he exclaimed.

"Maybe…" Hikari mumbled.

Gatomon reached up to touch Hikari's hand. "It will be okay, Hikari."

Hikair looked down at her partner and sighed. "Right," she said softly, before looking back to Daisuke. "What exactly is happening, Daisuke?"

"Um, better let Kuroku explain once the others arrive," he said with a slight shrug. He looked slightly confused, so Ken thought he probably didn't fully understand it himself.

Gatomon looked at Daisuke with narrowed eyes. "Kuroku? Who's Ku-"

"Hey! We're here!" Miyako's loud, breathy voice echoed from down the street, cutting Gatomon off.

Turning, Ken saw Miyako running up the road one arm waving wildly above her head while the other held Poromon securely. Iori and Takeru were a short distance behind, keeping pace with each other. Upamon, whom Iori held with both arms, bounced with every step his partner took, wing-like ears flopping almost comically. Patamon sat atop Takeru's head, displaying a sense of balance that his round form belied.

Miyako came to a stumbling stop before them. Poromon jumped from her arms, fluttering to the ground with his tiny wings as she bent over, bracing herself on her knees. Her breath came in deep and ragged.

"Miyako! Are you okay?" Hikari asked worriedly, moving to stand beside her partner.

"Just…fine…. Ran…all the way…here," she said between gasps.

"We told you…not to run so fast," Takeru panted, coming up beside her. Iori was the least winded of the trio, his breath barely even hitching as he slowed to a stop. Ken wasn't surprised. Although they all did their fair share of running around in the Digital World, Iori practiced Kendo rigorously, making him far more fit that Takeru or Miyako.

"Daisuke said it was really important!" Miyako defended once she had her breath. "I thought we should hurry in case it was, like, the end of the world again." She glared at Takeru. "And we wouldn't have had to run if you hadn't taken so long."

Iori frowned and looked at his Jogress partner. "Miyako has a point. You did take a long time to get ready," he said, sounding questioning.

Takeru looked uneasy, a frown marring his face. He stared at Hikari until her eyes widened, as if realizing something

"I was eating dinner with Nii-san when I got the message," Takeru started and Ken felt unease in his stomach. "He looked weird when I read it, like he had forgotten something. Then he started clearing up the dishes, saying I had better head out. When I asked if he was coming he said he wasn't and neither was anyone else…" Takeru shrugged, his face pinched in confusion and concern.

"That sounds like how Taichi was acting," Hikari said, nodding in agreement. "He acted like he knew what was going to happen, but he didn't want to come. I don't understand what's going on."

"Perhaps Kuroku will know?" Ken suggested, looking towards Daisuke, who shrugged.

"Kuroku?" Miyako asked.

"Who's Kuroku?" Iori and Takeru asked together.

"That guy with the digimon," Daisuke said, pointing to where Clockmon and Kuroku were still prodding the ground. As if sensing their gazes, Kuroku looked up and began making his way towards them.

"Whoa! He's old," Miyako said.

"How could someone at such an age have a digimon?" Iori asked.

Hikari looked thoughtful. "Is he... part of the first group of Chosen Children?"

"Did the digital world exist when he was a kid?" Takeru asked.

"He's not a part of the first group," Daisuke told them. Everyone turned towards him.

"How do you know?" Miyako asked skeptically.

"Because he told me so," Daisuke said rolling his eyes at her.

Miyako narrowed her eyes at Daisuke, and Ken feared they would start fighting. He could see Hikari's face tense up, as if she noticed the same thing and was preparing to jump in.

"Good, you're all here." Kuroku's rough, but jovial voice interrupted the impending argument.

Everyone turned to look at him and his partner, and Ken watched curiously as all the Digimon, save for Chibimon and Wormmon who had returned to his and Daisuke's sides, jumped in front of their partners defensively. It was clear, whatever the Digimon sensed about Kuroku, unsettled them. Ken got the feeling that he could be very dangerous if he wanted to be but had no ill will towards them. He assumed the latter based on Chibimon's and Wormmon's relatively relaxed behavior after being with him for several minutes.

"There's no need to be so defensive," Kuroku said, arms lifted, as he came to a stop a couple feet away. "I'm not here to hurt anyone."

Gatomon growled. "How do we know we can trust you?"

"Your leader trusts me," he said simply.

"That's not exactly in your favor," Miyako snorted.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Daisuke yelled, sounding highly offended.

"Exactly what I said! You don't exactly have the best judgement!" Miyako snapped back.

"Miyako, you shouldn't say such things," Poromon chastised.

Miyako huffed. "Why not? It's the truth," she said acerbically. Poromon sighed in defeat.

"Daisuke trusts a lot of people and not all of them deserve it," Iori said quietly and Ken winced. Iori's eyes never left Kuroku, but Ken already knew those words were meant for him and not the strange old man. Even after all this time, Iori still couldn't forgive Ken for being the Kaizer.

Daisuke's face darkened further in anger, though whether he understood the implications of Iori's words or was simply upset at his judgement being called into question, Ken didn't know.

Apparently Upamon did. "Iori, that wasn't very nice," he said, looking up into his partner's eyes. Iori looked down, his face pinched into a scowl, but he didn't say anything.

"I think we should trust him," Hikari said, interrupting the slowly growing argument. Her voice was soft, but it had a way of cutting through noise – people just _wanted_ to listen to her.

"Hikari, are you sure?" Gatomon asked, still tense, but looking away from Kuroku long enough to glance at her partner.

Hikari nodded, face serious. "I trust Daisuke's judgement."

"But-" Miyako began, but Takeru interrupted.

"I think so too. Daisuke is a pretty good judge of character," he said, looking between Ken and Iori. There was no question that he had understood Iori's hidden meaning.

"I agree with Takeru!" Patamon piped up. Takeru smiled at his partner, who flew up to rest on his head, now that he believed the danger was over.

Looking back at the others, Takeru continued. "Plus, it seems that Taichi and Yamato know something that we don't. Under normal circumstances, they definitely would have come with the message that Daisuke sent."

Iori stared at Takeru for a moment, unblinking. Takeru stared right back. After a moment, Iori relented. "We should at least here him out," he said. "If something is happening then we need to know regardless of how suspicious he seems."

After a moment, Miyako nodded, agreeing as well. They all turned towards Kuroku expectantly, waiting for an explanation.

"My explanation is a long one, so please try not to interrupt," Kuroku said and then cleared his throat. "There are many different worlds and dimension in existence. You already know of four of them – Earth, the Digital World, the Dark Ocean, and the Dream World. This being said, it shouldn't be too hard for you to believe that there are other worlds, besides those, in existence." The group nodded their heads slowly. "Good. Well, on top of separate worlds, there are also separate dimensions. Different dimensions can have many worlds but are typically cut off completely from other dimensions. Many of these dimensions have worlds that are very similar to this world. There are many different "earths" in existence and several of them have "digital worlds" attached to them.

"The dimension that I have come from is in grave peril. The "Chosen Children" for lack of a better term, of my world are struggling and I fear that their enemy will over power them. I come to you to ask for assistance in gathering other heroes from other worlds so that we may assist the heroes of my own world."

"Wait a minute!" Miyako yelled, anger clear in her voice. "You're telling me that your Chosen Children can't cut it, so _we_ have to fight for them!?"

"Miyako!" Hikari exclaimed while everyone else gaped at her rather vicious remark. Ken could understand her feelings, but to say it like that…

"What?" Miyako asked, as if her attitude was completely reasonable. "We've fought hard to protect Earth and the digital world. We almost lost and it's only been a couple of weeks. There's still so much damage and we still have to hide our partners. Don't we deserve a break? Why should we have to go around saving other worlds too? It's not fair! We had to fight on even though our chances of winning were so small. If they're Chosen Children, then they're going to have to find their own strength!"

"The situation is far more dire than you understand," Kuroku said, catching everyone's attention. "The Chosen Children of my world have already fought and won their share of battles. But Quartzmon is like nothing any of you has ever seen. If he wins it will not simply be my world and its digital world that will fall. Yours as well as all other human and digital worlds in existence will be destroyed."

"The enemy is that powerful?" Takeru asked, stunned.

Kuroku nodded gravely. "Yes. Already, he has affected the human and Digital World of my dimension, by creating a pocket of space time that overlays with the real world." Ken gasped at this, understanding better than the others what this meant – what kind of power it required to do such a thing. "And he is not even at full power. Should Quartzmon succeed in his plans, he will have access to unlimited power and he will use it to conquer the multiverse."

A heavy silence fell over them at Kuroku's words. Ken could feel his insides go cold at the thought. Looking around, Ken saw a myriad of emotions fly across his fellow Chosen Children's faces. Daisuke's eyes blazed with determination, unsurprising as Ken knew he had already made his choice long before any of them had shown up. Hikari looked horrified at the thought and maybe even a little ill. She was definitely paler than before. Takeru and Iori shared a worried look, their eyes speaking a language only they knew. Miyako appeared to be trembling, though with her head bowed, Ken had a hard time figuring out with which emotion. Fear or anger were just as likely.

Suddenly, Miyako screamed. Everyone jumped and looked at her in worry. Taking in several deep breaths, Miyako looked up with one of the most insincere smiles Ken had ever seen. "Okay then," she said, her voice tight with false pleasantness. "Since we don't seem to have a choice."

Takeru sighed tiredly. "We'll help, of course. Like Miyako said, we don't have a choice if the worlds really are in danger, but what about Nii-san and the others?"

"They will not be needed," Kuroku said, causing everyone to frown. Before anyone could say something, he continued. "Not as they are now at least."

"I don't understand," Hikari said with a furrowed brow.

"As they are now, they are not strong enough to fight with us. We will not have enough time for them to become that strong either, so we will gather them from a time when they were at peak strength." Kuroku explained.

Ken blinked, surprise and apprehension coiling in his stomach. "Are you talking about going to the past?" he asked cautiously.

"Of course," Kuroku answered as if it was a normal, everyday occurrence. Ken knew it couldn't be no matter how nonchalantly Kuroku spoke of the subject.

"That is so cool!" Daisuke exclaimed with a big smile.

"And dangerous," Ken pointed out.

"Yes, it is very dangerous to meddle in temporal matters, but the situation is too dire to do otherwise," Kuroku explained.

Ken could feel real fear pooling in his gut. What kind of danger were they getting into, that messing around with time became a non-issue? He didn't think anyone else quite realized the implications, except perhaps Miyako, whose face was rather pale.

"How are we going to go to another world?" Chibimon asked.

"Ah, yes. Please everyone. Gather around over here," Kuroku said and ushered everyone to stand on the spot of ground he had been inspecting earlier. "This spot here seems to be the weakest spot in the temporal barrier."

"Um... temporal barrier?" Daisuke asked. "I think Clockmon said something about it before?"

"The temporal barrier is the barrier that keeps time in check, much as the dimensional barrier keeps dimensions from interacting with each other," Kuroku explained. "If it didn't exist, you might see yourself across a room doing what you had just done or see yourself doing what you are about to do. Without the barrier the fabric of time would fall apart, throwing everything into chaos, creating paradoxes and likely causing the universe, or should I say multi-verse, to implode," Kuroku explained. "It would be very nasty business."

"Is that why it's so dangerous to travel through time?" Hikari asked nervously as she picked up Gatomon.

"Yes. By traveling through time, you weaken the barrier."

"Then wouldn't it be better to travel through where the barrier isn't already weakened? Won't that just make it worse?" Takeru asked a little worriedly.

"Not quite. It's easier to pass through what's already weak. There's less resistance and less of a chance of damaging the barrier when you go through it."

"I don't really get it, but we'll be safe, right?" Daisuke asked.

Kuroku nodded. "Yes. Clockmon and I have prepared everything to make the journey as safe as possible. You will be in no more danger that you are when traveling to the Digital World."

Everyone seemed to accept this easily enough, but Ken was still a little unsure. He had been to and from the Digital World enough times to know that it was safe, but time travel had a whole other set of worries piled onto it. What if they caused a paradox by running into their younger selves? What if they changed something and changed the present? Even the smallest thing could cause irreversible harm. Looking at the others, he was sure he didn't think the others quite realized what they were about to do.

It was too late now to ask more questions. All he could do was watch as Kuroku and Clockmon stood across from each other, arms raised. The clock hands on Clockmon's body began to move backwards; slowly at first, but they were beginning to gain speed. A strange circle appeared on the ground under everyone, with strange symbol Ken though he recognized, but would need to study in order to know what they meant.

"Ealte eaus eapssa eahthgour eahte Eatlaropme Eabreirra," Kuroku called out, voice seeming to echo around them. The circle began to glow green before lifting into the air, surrounding them. It seemed to circle around them, growing brighter and brighter, until Ken's world was made up of only green light and a single point of warmth under his right hand.


End file.
